Folding-machine.



Wnw es= y iw H. M. BARBER.

FOL-DING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1913.

Patented Oct. 10,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. M. BARBER.

FOLDlNG MACHINE.

MPLICATION mm FEB. 12, 1913.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2 H. M. BARBER.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1913'.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916. K

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED sTAtr s PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD M, BARBER, STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, IBY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO 0. BQCOTTRELL & SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A- CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed February 12, 1913. Serial No. 748,038.

To' all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. BARBER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Stonington, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide novel meanswhereby the entire product of a printing press may be folded off. and de livered together or whereby the product may be divided and folded off and delivered to two difli'erent points so that the product may be folded into signatures having a different number of pages without in any way afiecting' or changing the speed of the press.

My invention comprises three rotary carnew, one of the carrlers being arranged to coact" with one only of the other carriers when the entire product is folded oifthereto or to coact with bothcarriers alternately when part of the product-is delivered to one carrier and the balance to the other carrier; both folding off operations in the last instance being from the same side of the web.

My invention 'comprlses novel'means for controlling the floating of a'tucking blade whereby it iscaused to vcoact with the floating folding jaws on one rotary carrier orto coact with the floating folding j aws carried a i by twoindependent rotary-carriers.

My invention more particularly comprises means for controlling the operation of the cam which floats'the tucking blade whereby the tucking blade iscaused. to coact with either of the floating folding jaws for the part of a folding machine which embodies ,my invention, Fig. 2 is a'diagrammaticver- 4'5 purposes above set forth.'

Apractical embodiment'of my invention isrepresented' in theaccomp'anyin'g draw ings, in which- Figure 1 represents in side elevationthat tical section taken from front to rear through the machine,Fig. 3 is a detail plan view at one side of the machine, the web feeding devices and rotarycutters being removed, Fig. 4 is a similarview at the other side ofthe machine, Fig. 5 is a section taken in the plane of the line A-A of Fi 3,

Fig. 6'is a sectiontaken in the lance the line BB of Fig. 4, and Fig. is a'detail View of the alternate cam for controlling the opening of the grippers on the folding cyl- 1nder. g

The 'web, not shown, is fed from the printlng press to the foldlng machine by the end less tapes and rollers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. The Web is severed transversely. into sheets by the pair of coacting-rotary cutters 6, 7, and is directed downwardly to the grippers 8 of the collecting. and male folding cylinder 9 through guideslO, 11.

The floating tucking blade 12 on the male folding cylinder 9 is arranged to coact with the floating folding jaw 13 of the female folding cylinder 14 for folding off the entire' veyed from the floating folding jaw v15 to any desired point by means of the endless tape -=carriers 27, 2 8, 29, and their pulleys In the arrangement of the parts as herein shown, the cylinder 9 either folds off a collected group of two sheets to the cylinder 14 every second revolution of the cylinder 9 or folds off one sheet to the cylinder 14 every second revolution of the cylinder 9 and one sheet to the cylinder 16 every second revolution of the said cylinder 9, the folding off operations alternating. If for instance, each sheet were eight pages, either a sixteen page product would be 'folded off to the cylindgr, 14 or an eight page product would be fol ed ofl'to each of the cylinders 14 and 16, without affecting or changing the speed of the press.

The means which I employ-to carry out the above results, are constructed, arranged and operated as follows: The cams for floating the tuckingrblade 12 and the folding jaws 13 and 15 are of well known and 'approved construction, the cam for floating the tucking blade being denoted by 38, the cam for floating the folding jaw 13 by 39 and the cam for floating the folding jaw 15 by 40. The cam for opening the folding jaw 13 at the time of the fold is denoted by 41 and the cam for opening the folding jaw 15 at the time of fold is denoted by 42. The cam for opening the folding jaw 13 at the time of delivery is denoted by 43 and the cam for opening the folding jaw 15 at the time of delivery is denoted by 44. The cams 43 and 44 are both fixed to one of the side frames of the machine as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The geared connection between the several parts is as follows: The gear 45 is driven from the press by means, not shown herein, at the proper speed. This gear 45 is fast on the shaft 46 of the collecting and folding cylinder 9. This gear meshes at all times with a gear 47 fast on the shaft 48 of the female folding cylinder 14. A gear 49 has a sliding interlocked engagement on the shaft 50 of the female folding cylinder 16 so that the said gear 49 may be shifted into and out of engagement with the gear 45 according to whether the product is to be divided and to be delivered at two separate points or is to be combinedand delivered at a single point. Interchangeable cams 51 and 52 are provided for opening the grippers 8 on the collecting and folding cylinder 9. One of these cams,.in the present instance the cam 51, is mounted on a rota support concentric with the axis of the folding cylinder 9 and is driven at one-half the speed of the said folding cylinder 9, as follows: A gear 53 is fast on the shaft 46, which gear meshes with a gear 54 on a stud shaft 55 and a gear 56 fixed to rotate with the gear 54 meshes with the gear 57 which forms the rotary support for the cam 51 or of the gears is such that the gear 57 travels at one-half the speed of the cylinder 9.

The rotary cutters 6 and 7 and the feeding and delivery carriersare driven at the de? sired speeds in the usual manner. The cam for controlling the floating of the tucking blade 12 is reciprocated to float the blade in parallelism: with both the jaw 13 and the jaw 15 when the product is divided.

A gear 58 fast on the shaft 50 of the female folding cylinder 16 is provided with a box cam 59 which controls the movement. of a reciprocating rack 60, which rack meshes with a gear 61 fast on the stud shaft 62. A gear 63 also fast on the shaft 62 meshes with .a gear 64 loosely mounted on the shaft 46 Y but fast to the cam 38 which'controls 'the floating of the tucking blade 12. The mechfloating the tucking blade into parallelism with the gripper 13 0f the female folding cylinder 14 by a clutch 65 adapted to be moved into engagement with the teeth of the gear 58. Suitable fastening means 66 are provided for locking the clutch 65 in its I will proceed to describe the operation of my invention with the parts in the positions which they assume for folding off the entire product in one direction. The gear 49 is disengaged from the gear 45 and the gear 58 is lockedwith the cam 38 in position to float the tucking blade 12 in parallelism with the folding jaw 13. The first sheet severed from the web by the rotary cutters 6, 7, is taken by the grippers 8 of the cylinder 9 and carried around thereby. This sheet is then associated with the next succeeding sheet severed from the web by the rotary cutters and at the proper time the collected group of two sheets is folded off by the coaction of the tucking blade 12 and grippers 13 to the cylinder 14 and delivered I the speed of the cylinder 9. When his desired to fold ofi' half the product in one direction' and half the product in another direction, the gear 58 is released and the gear 49 is brought intodriving engagement with the gear 45, and the cam 52 is substituted for the cam 51. on the rotary support 53.

The parts are then so arranged that the grippers 8 'on the cylinder 9 will. take the first sheet severed from the web by the cut.- ters 6, 7 and release the sheet at the proper time to permit the same to be folded off to the cylinder 16 by the coaction of the tucking blade 12 with the folding jaw 15.. The next succeeding sheet will pass between t 5 cylinders 9 and 14 by gravity with its lea ing edge free and at the proper time the sheet will be folded oif to the cylinder 14 by the coaction of the tucking blade 12 with the folding jaw 13. To bring the tucki bl e; e 12 into parallelism with both the foldm' g;

jaw 13 and the folding jaw 15, the cam 38 is reciprocated under the control of the cam 59 on the gear 58.

From the above that without in any way aflecting or changing the speed of the press, the product of the press may be collected, folded and de-' livered' in one direction or may be divided, folded and delivered indifferent directions,

description, it will be Sea- 12 thefolds being from the same side of the web sheets where the product is divided. What I claim is 1. In a folding machine, a rotary sheet collecting carrier having a tucking blade and means for causing it tofold ofl a sheet at each of different points or a collected group of sheets at one of said points only.

2. In a folding machine, a rotary sheet collecting carrier. having a tucking blade and means for causing it to fold oif a'sheet at each of two points or a collected group of sheets 'at one of said points only.

3. In a folding machine, a rotary sheet collecting carrier having a tucking blade and means for causing it to fold ofl one sheet at each oftwo points'or a collected group of two sheets at one of said points only.

4. In a folding machine, a rotary sheet 0 collecting carrier having a'tucking blade and means for causing it to fold off a collected product at one point or to fold off part of the product at each of diflerent points.

5. In a folding machine, a rotary sheet collecting carrier having a tucldng blade and means for causing it to fold ofl a-collected product'at one point or to fold ofi' part of the product at each of two points- 6.-"A folding mechanism comprising a I plurality of fixedly mounted rotary carriers,

another rotary carrier and means for causing it to coact with one or all of said plurality of rotary carriers to fold 011' sheets thereto.

7. A folding mechanism comprising two fixedly mounted rotary carriers, a third rotary carrier and means for causing it to coact with one or both of said two rotary carriers to fold of), sheets thereto.

8. A I folding mechanism comprising a plurality of fixedly mounted rotary carriers, another rotary carrier and means for caus ing it to collect and 'fold off all the sheets to one of the first-named rotary carriers or to' fold ofi' sheets to each of said first-named carriers.

9. A folding mechanism comprlsmg two a i fixedly mounted rotary carriers, a third ro- I fixedly mounted rotary carriers having folding jaws, a third rotary carrier having a tucking blade and means for causing it to coact with the folding jaws of one or both of said first-named carriers.

12. A folding mechanism-comprising a one of said first-named carriers. 20. A folding machine comprising two pluralityof fixedly mounted rotary carriers having floating folding jaws, another rotary carrier having a floating tucking blade and means for causing it to coact with the float-.

ing folding jaws of one or all of said firstnamed carriers.

13. A'folding mechanism comprising two fixedly mounted rotary carriers having floating folding jaws, a third rotary carrier having a floating tucking blade, means for causing it to coact with the floating folding jaws of one or both of said first-named carriers.

14. A folding mechanism. comprising a plurality of fixedly mounted rotary carriers having folding jaws, another rotary carrier having a tucking blade and a single means for operating the blade to cause it to coact with the folding jaws of one or all of said first-named carriers. 7

15. A folding mechanism comprising two fixedly mounted rotary carriers having folding jaws, a third rotary carrier having a tucking blade and a single means for operating the blade to cause it to coact with the folding jaws of one or both of said firstnamed carriers.

16. A folding mechanism comprising a plurality of fixedly mounted rotary carriers having floating folding jaws, another rotary carrier having a floating tucking blade and a single means'for floating the'blade to cause it to coact with the floating folding jaws of one or all of said first-named carriers.

17. Afolding mechanism comprising two fixedly mounted rotary carriers having floating folding jaws, a third rotary carrier having a floating tucking blade and a single means for floating the blade to cause it to coact with the floating folding jaws of one or both of said first-named carriers.

18. A folding machine comprising two rotary carriers having folding jaws and another rotary carrier having a tucking blade, cams-for floating the folding jaws and tucking blade and means for moving the tucking blade controlling cam to cause the tucking blade to be brought intov coaction with the folding jaws of each of said first-named rotary carriers.

19. A folding machine comprising two rotary carriers having folding jaws and another rotary carrier having a tucking blade,

. cams for floating thefolding jaws and tucking blade, means for moving the tucking blade controlling cam to cause the tucking blade to be brought into coaetion with the folding jawsof each of said first-named rotary carriers, and means for disconnecting rotary carriers having folding jaws and another rotary carrier' having a tucking blade, cams for floating the folding jaws and tucking blade and means for moving the tucking blade controlling cam to cause the tucking 130 blade to be hrought into coaction with the as my invention, I have signed my name in folding jaws of each of said first-named ropresence of two witnesses, this tenth day of;

tary carriers, means for disconnecting one of February A. D. 1913.

V said first-named carriers and means for hold- I HOWARD BARBER. 5 ing the tucking blade controlling cam sta- Witnesses:

tionary when so desired. A. R. STILLMZAN,

In testimony, thatI claim the foregoing E. M. GRANT. 

